High-voltage space tether for diagnostics and enhanced particle scattering in the Earth´s radiation belts

Summary form only given. New applications of space tethers are discussed in relation with the idea of V.V. Danilov et al. (1995) of an active experiment, in the Earth´s radiation belts. Two long (about 10 km long each) well conducting strings are supposed to be tethered in opposite directions between the main satellite and two small subsatellites, flying through the Earth radiation belt (ERB) in the equatorial plane. A high potential difference /spl phi//sub 0//spl sim/1 MV is applied between the tethers, by means of a high voltage generator carried by the main satellite. The tethers can effectively scatter the high energy particles into loss cone providing a control of particle life time in the ERB. The high energy particles are scattered due to the sheath layer formed around the tethers by relatively cold plasma existing in the ERB. A rigorous theory of the layer is developed, yielding the electric current collected by the tether and a potential profile which is then used for treatment of the scattering and diagnostics problems. The scattering cross section is found to reach /spl sigma//spl sim/2L/sub s/R/sub c/, where L/sub s/ is the length of the tether, R/sub c//spl sim/1 km is the radius of sheath. Consequently the high energy component life time can be estimated as /spl tau//spl sim/V//spl sigma//spl upsi//spl sim/10/sup 7/ where V/spl sim/2.5/spl times/10/sup 12/ km/sup 3/ is a characteristic volume, occupied by the high energy particles in the ERB, /spl upsi//spl sim/1.5/spl times/10/sup 7/ m/s is the average particle velocity. This life time proves to be much shorter than the proton life time (10/sup 9/-10/sup 10/ s) inside the ERB. The above high-voltage satellite system can be used for precipitation of charged particles from man-made radiation belts, affecting the ozone layer depletion and active experiments in space such as ARAKS CRRES, etc.. Since the potential difference can be varied in a wide range both cold plasma, parameters and high energy part- cles characteristics can be measured with the same space tethers used as a diagnostic probe. New possibilities related to the case of applied AC voltage in a frequency range /spl omega//sub pi//spl Lt//spl omega//spl Lt//spl omega//sub pc/ are discussed.